


BURNHAM

by Sunnie0023



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-19 16:23:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14877251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunnie0023/pseuds/Sunnie0023
Summary: DRAMATIC PERSONAEBURNHAM: Formal First officer of Shenzou, Specialist of DiscoverySARU: Former Science Officer of Shenzou, First Officer of DiscoveryGEORGIOU(Mirror): Emperor of Terran EmpireCORNWELL: Co-ruler of GeorgiouTILLY(Mirror): Crown Princess of Georgiou and Cornwell, engaged to Burnham. Daughter of Cornwell.SAREK: An Old Blind ProphetSPOCK: A Young Lad Guiding SarekSECURITY OFFICER: a soldier serving Georgiou.COMPUTER: messanger





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work is based on the play "Antigone" written by Sophocles.

[In Terran empire, directly in front of shuttle bay of the royal flagship I.S.S. Charon, Enter Burnham taking Saru into the shuttle, driving it away from the flagship.]

 

BURNHAM: Now, Saru, my own shipmate,  
do you have any sense of all the troubles  
brought on the two of us,  
as long as we’re alive? All that misery  
which stems from Shenzou? There’s no suffering,  
no shame, no ruin—not one dishonor—  
which I have not seen in all the troubles  
you and I go through. What’s this they’re saying now,  
something the emperor has had proclaimed  
throughout her ship? Do you know of it?  
Have you heard? Or have you just missed the news— 

SARU: I’ve had no word at all, Burnham,  
nothing good or bad about our crew,  
not since we two lost our crew, separated from them.  
I don’t know any more if I’ve been lucky or face total  
ruin. 

BURNHAM: I know that. I know that you don’t know anything.  
That’s why I brought you here,  
away from the flagship, so only you can hear.  
Now be careful, I’ll shut off all the system operating, including life support,  
so that none of our conversation is recorded.

SARU: What is it? The way you look makes it seem  
you’re thinking of some dark and gloomy news.

BURNHAM: Computer, shut all the systmes down, including lifesupport.  
Look—what’s Georgiou doing with our crew?  
She’s not honoring them. She’s treating them as threat to her throne  
and treating them disgracefully.  
She directly gave order to everyone aboard her ship  
to hold our crew, and not to let us go anywhere,  
so that they- we can’t go back to our own universe.  
She isn’t respecting us even with manners  
of her own universe. She’s not killing us, or them.  
Her only plan is to hold us forever inside her glorious ship.  
That’s what people say the noble Georgiou  
has announced to you and me—I mean to me—  
and now she’s coming to proclaim the fact,  
to state it clearly to those who have not heard.  
For Georgiou this matter’s really serious.  
Anyone who acts against the order will be put inside her agonizer,  
and live there forever until the end of the multiverses.  
Now you know, and you’ll quickly demonstrate  
whether you are a Starfleet officer who can act as a Starfleet officer  
or a mere pray shivering his body under his predator. 

SARU: Oh my poor shipmate, if that’s what’s happening,  
what can I say that would be any help  
to ease the situation or resolve it? 

BURNHAM: Think whether you will work with me in this and act together.

SARU: In what kind of work? What do you mean?

BURNHAM: Will you help me bypass the security system and get our crew out of this ship?

SARU: What? You’re going to get our crew out, bypassing the program?  
Committing a crime for all in Terran Empire, and therefore risking your own life?

BURNHAM: Yes. I’ll do my duty to my crew—  
and yours as well, if you’re not prepared to.  
I won’t be caught betraying them.

SARU: You’re too rash.  
Has Georgiou not expressly banned that act? 

BURNHAM: Yes. But she’s got no right to keep me from what’s mine.

SARU: O dear. Think, Burnham. Consider how captain died.  
What kind of death did she have?  
She died tragically when those mistakes forced you to turn your hand against her.  
Then that woman, daughter and her lover —her double role for one woman—  
destroyed her own life in a twisted noose.  
Then there’s our own two crew, crew of Shenzou and Discovery,  
both struggling in cruel multiverses, have been barely survived.  
and brought about their common doom.  
Now, the two of us are left here quite alone.  
Think how we’ll die far worse than all the rest,  
if we defy the law and move against  
the emperor’s decree, against her royal power.  
We must remember that we don’t belong to this cruel universe,  
and, as such, we shouldn’t fight with terrans.  
Since those who rule are much more powerful,  
we must keep quiet in this and in events  
which bring us even harsher agonies,  
until we can get the proper chance.  
So I’ll ask those underground for pardon—  
since I’m being compelled, I’ll find another way, which is safer  
than the most dangerous way of yours  
That’s what I’m forced to do.  
It makes no sense to try to do too much.

BURNHAM: I wouldn’t urge you to. No. Not even  
if you were keen to act. Doing this with you  
would bring me no joy. So be what you want.  
I still intend to get them home. It would be fine to die  
while doing that. I’ll lie there, and join with my captain,  
with a woman I love, pure and innocent,  
for all my crime. My logic must last much longer only  
when I do what I believe to be right.  
I’ll lie down there forever. As for you,  
well, if you wish, you can show your contempt  
for those laws the peace all hold in certain logic. 

SARU: I’m not disrespecting them. But I can’t act when I am not prepared enough.  
That’s not in my nature.

BURNHAM: Let that be your excuse. I’m going now  
to figure out, by myself, the way to deceive Charon’s system  
for my crew. 

SARU: Oh poor Burnham, I’m so afraid for you.

BURNHAM: Don’t fear for me. Set your own fate in order.

SARU: Make sure you don’t reveal to anyone  
what you intend. Keep it closely hidden.  
I’ll do the same.

BURNHAM: Do it as you wish.

SARU: Your heart is hot to do cold deeds.

BURNHAM: But I know I’ll please the ones I’m duty bound to please.

SARU: Yes, if you can. But you’re after something  
which you’re yet incapable of carrying out.

BURNHAM: Well, when my strength is gone, then I’ll give up.

SARU: A vain attempt should not be made at all.

BURNHAM: I’ll hate you if you’re going to talk that way.  
So leave me and my foolishness alone—  
we’ll get through this fearful thing. I won’t suffer  
anything as bad as a disgraceful survival.

SARU: All right then, go, if that’s what you think right.  
Though, you should know that you sound like a Kilingon.

BURNHAM: And you sound like yourself, Saru.

SARU: Alright, I know that you will do as you wish, but remember this—  
even though your missinon makes no sense, your friends do truly love you.

BURNHAM: Computer, turn every system back to normal.

COMPUTER: Every system online.

BURNHAM: Go to impulse. Destination, I.S.S. Charon.

 

[Burnham controls the helm. Saru watches her with concerned eyes. Burnham’s face seems to show no emotion on it.]


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This work is based on the play "Antigone" written by Sophocles.

[Enter Georgiou into the throne room. She addresses the assembled lords.]

GEORGIOU: People, after much tossing of our empire,  
destiny has safely set things right again.  
Of all the citizens I’ve summoned you,  
because I know how well you showed respect  
for the eternal power of the throne,  
first with Terran empire and again with Charon,  
once I restored the empire.  
However, when the ship came back, with my beloved one,  
I heard many lips secretly whispering about a treason,  
that they know that my heart has gone weakened holding her hands again,  
and that my brain has gone rustled looking into her eyes again,  
and so that they can make me down the throne  
by taking her away from me once again.  
They even say that they can crown her as a new emperor,  
for she has name to rule the empire.  
Though, still I have the throne, all royal power,  
for I’m the one most closely linked by logic and destiny  
to rule the universe.  
I would not stay silent if I saw disaster  
moving here against the empire,  
a threat to their security.  
If there be no emperor, the empire will perish.  
Acting against my authority is acting against the empire.  
For anyone who acts against my empire,  
I’d never make my friend. For I know well  
our country is a ship which keeps us safe,  
and only when it sails its proper course  
do we make friends. These are the principles  
I’ll use in order to protect our empire.  
That’s why I’ve announced to all citizens  
my orders for my beloved on and her ship: Shenzou—  
Shenzou can’t go anywhere far from Charon,  
and every single crew except its captain will be confined in the ship.  
That’s my decision.  
Watch the ship carefully, never let the ship leave the orbit,  
nor let any of its crew to transport to anywhere else.  
If anyone attempt to get her, my loved one, out of my sight,  
or even attempt to crown her before she achieves the throne rightly as my heir,  
I will personally punish them and they will never get the mercy of death.  
For I’ll never act to respect an evil one with honors  
in preference to one who’s acted well.  
Anyone who’s well disposed towards our empire,  
woman or man, even though he’s a man,  
that person I will respect. 

LORD RACHEL: Mother of fatherland, if that’s your will  
for the empire’s friends and enemies,  
it seems to me you now control all laws  
concerning those who’ve died and us as well-  
the ones who are still living.

GEORGIOU: See to it then and act as guardians of what’s been proclaimed.

LORD RACHEL: Give that task to younger people to deal with.

GEORGIOU: I’ve already assigned the chief of security and her officers to the mission.

CHORUS LEADER: Then what remains that you would have us do? 

GEORGIOU: Don’t yield to those who contravene my orders. 

CHORUS LEADER: No one is such a fool that she loves death. 

GEORGIOU: Yes, if she is even allowed to be dead!  
And yet people have often been destroyed  
because they hoped to have something that isn’t destined for them in some way.

[Enter a security chief, coming towards the palace]

CHIEF OF SECURITY: Emperor, I can’t say I’ve come out of breath  
by running here, making my feet move fast.  
Many times I stopped to think things over—  
and then I’d turn around, retrace my steps.  
My mind was saying many things to me,  
"You fool, why go to where you know for sure  
your punishment awaits?"—"And now, poor woman,  
why are you hesitating yet again?  
If the emperor finds this out from someone else,  
how will you escape being hurt?" Such matters  
kept my mind preoccupied. And so I went,  
slowly and reluctantly, and thus made  
a short road turn into a lengthy one.  
But then the view that I should come to you  
won out. If what I have to say is nothing,  
I’ll say it nonetheless. For I’ve come here  
clinging to the hope that I’ll not suffer  
anything that’s not part of my destiny.

GEORGIOU: What’s happening that’s made you so upset?

CHIEF OF SECURITY: I want to tell you first about myself.  
I did not do it. And I didn’t track  
the one who did. So it would be unjust  
if I should come to grief. 

GEORGIOU: You hedge so much.  
Clearly you have news of something ominous.

CHIEF OF SECURITY: Yes. Strange things that make me pause a lot. 

GEORGIOU: Why not say it and then go—just leave, I’ll show you that generosity this time.

CHIEF OF SECURITY: All right, I’ll tell you. It’s about the security system.  
Someone tried to bypass the system, I don’t know how, but she did it to some point.  
She enable the transport between Charon and Shenzou.

GEORGIOU: What are you saying? Who would dare this?

CHIEF OF SECURITY: I don’t know. There was no sign interrupting the system,  
no marks of any stranger who has no authority has accessed.  
Every program and system was clean, at least I thought it was,  
before one of my officers has accidently found out  
that it is possible to transport to Shenzou  
without my authority.  
Whoever did it left no trace.  
When she, If I say, accidently revealed it to us, we were all amazed.  
Even the access code was hidden.  
The only thing we know for sure is that she used one.  
I thought it could be one of my officers, so I gathered them in to my office,  
Then the words flew round among us all,  
with every security chief accusing someone else. [260]  
We were about to fight, to come to blows— 300  
no one was there to put a stop to it. Even I was confused.  
So I had them dismissed, and then questioned them one by one.  
This is my conclusion at this point, emperor,  
: Every one of us was responsible,  
but none of us was clearly in the wrong.  
We are eager to find out who she was to cut in to our sacred system.  
That’s why I’m now here,  
I know that—for no one likes a messenger  
who comes bearing unwelcome news with her,  
though, I want you to know,  
we will find whoever the person is and bring her to your justice.

GEORGIOU: For the empire,  
I swear to you on oath—unless you find  
the one whose hands is really responsible sabotaging the system,  
unless you bring her here before my eyes,  
then death for you will never be enough.  
No, not before you’re hung up still alive  
and you confess to this gross, violent act.  
That way you’ll understand in future days,  
you’ll learn that it’s not good to be in love  
with every kind of dreams those aren’t yours. 

CHIEF OF SECURITY: Do I have your permission to speak?

GEORGIOU: But I find your voice so irritating—  
don’t you realize that?

CHIEF OF SECURITY: Where does it hurt?  
Is it in your ears or in your mind?

GEORGIOU: Why try to question where I feel my pain?

CHIEF OF SECURITY: The one who did it—she upsets your mind.  
I offend your ears.  
GEORGIOU: My, my, it’s clear to see  
that it's natural for you to chatter on.

CHIEF OF SECURITY: Perhaps. But I never did this. I’ll find her for you, my lord.

GEORGIOU: This and more you sold your life for a mere dream. 

Well, enjoy your sophisticated views.  
But if you don’t reveal to me who did this,  
you’ll just confirm how much your treasonous gains  
have made you suffer.

[Exit Georgiou back out of the throne roon. The doors close behind her.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the chief of security on Charon will have no right to argue with the emperor, but for Kreon and his messenger had the arguement, I put the conversation.


End file.
